London Witchpunks unsheath their 'Inevitable Machete' and show it off to the masses!
Be sure to watch out for something interesting going on in the big smoke at the moment, because they go by the name of Rites Of Hadda. I first saw these in the early days atThe Cowley Club in Brighton, but since then, they have evolved into an anarcho-punk monster, that isn’t averse to giving us punk outsiders a metaphorical cuddle. At this year’s Grow Your Own Fest in Hastings, they truly tore the roof off, and decorated the interiors with rainbow- coloured wallpaper. I was looking forward to hearing their new album release on GYO Records, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Rites Of Hadda are :
Wasperella – Vocals
Simon Clarke – Sax & Synths
Pinswine – Guitar
Paul “Who’s Paul?” Maybin – Bass
Matthias Winter – Drums
The band rightfully describe themselves as “a mix of Queercore, Punk, Glam and Goth”, while blending in some activism along the way. What we have here is seven saxophone-driven songs (eight, if you purchase the CD or digital version) that will be sure to keep your attention for the spinning disc’s duration. You can tell from the outset that this is a band tackling punk rock from a slightly different angle, and that feels like a breath of fresh air to me. Their songs are political, whilst also managing to be soul-searching and surreal.
‘Racist Bassist‘ is a song that needs little explanation, as the band decide that the person in question isn’t worth another verse. This is followed up by the catchy ‘Middle England, Mate‘ (where “dancing is banned”) and the speedier ‘Killer Profits (Tokitae)‘ to get our pulses truly racing.
‘Daemon Of Hate‘ is a confessional song and is also one of my favourites on this album. ‘Fuck Them‘ starts with the sound of a marching band’s lament, before defiantly ripping our heads from our shoulders and shouting punk rock into our detached earholes. It’s a song about being yourself, and also a big two fingers up to the powers that be, who set out to stifle us in this world.
20/12/25 – Biddle Bros, Hackney, London
10/01/26 – Alma Inn, Bolton
16/01/26 – The Others, Stoke Newington, London
22/01/26 – Portland Arms, Cambridge
30/01/26 – Hope & Anchor, Islington, London
Main Photo Credit: RT. REV. LEGIT
1. Is Ross Woodward A Faggot?
2. Racist Bassist
3. Middle England, Mate
4. Killer Profits (Tokitae)
5. Daemon Of Hate
6. Fuck Them
7. Lament
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I have been writing reviews for Brighton & Hove News, and more recently Vive Le Rock magazine for a few years now. Previously, I could be spotted playing drums for many a band over the decades. A noisy habit developed whilst wearing short trousers at school, and one that has had me touring around the UK and Europe. Punk rock is my life, but I am also quite eclectic. I am an avid gig go-er and music devourer, and can feel out of sorts if a gig date is not on the horizon. I have also been known to put gigs on myself in order to fill those gaps.
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